Boltonian University of Hull student currently living in Carcassonne.

Devoirs.

I started writing the first of my 6 assignments, for the year abroad, the other day. The idea of this blog was to help me write my assignments but it just isn’t doing. I’m no good at reflection really, well, not in the way university wants me to reflect anyway. They are asking me to look back on my experiences so far, describe them and then how I overcame problems or came about having a good time. The thing is, I can’t write “well the way I overcame my problem was by having a complete mental breakdown, searching the Ryanair website for flights home and then being made to stay here as a result of no flights back.” That just is not what they’re looking for, and whilst I am enjoying myself right now I do feel that the only way, so far, I have found to overcome my problems is to meltdown and try to get out of the country. Failing to do that is what is keeping me here during hard times.

Anyway, the other day we had a nice evening out, which, in England it would have seemed relatively mundane. We headed for a pizza at a restaurant and then to the cinema. The fact that the cinema was a French cinema, with French films was what brings the excitement, rather than being an easy-to-do evening it was a cultural explosion. We watched a film called “Rien de personnel”, on leaving the cinema we appeared to have the gist of the film but would, in no way, be able to explain it in any depth, let alone to any cinematographic extent. A company was being evaluated, a rumour was stared, people tried to save their own skins – that’s it. When I got in and searched for the film on imdb it was summarised as this;

“A pharmaceutical company throws a gala party where all the employees from the top to the bottom are invited. Asked to participate in a role playing game which is actually a massive training simulation for the management team, rumors begin to circulate the the company may be acquired and everyone begins vying to save his or her own skin.”

Not far off with my gist thus encouraging thirst for more French films at the French cinema. I’m pretty sure Tuesday could become cinema night… especially with the acti-card(?) that we’re going to get – €1 movie tickets? Yes please!

Tomorrow I have the school that I dread the most. I’m prepared for the class that I take alone, this week. Halloween wordsearches, Halloween flashcards and a Halloween poem. I also intend on rewarding exceptional behaviour with British 1p and 2p coins. In theory, they should love me after tomorrow’s lesson. We’ll see! I have wine and a bottle opener just in case it goes not dissimilarly to last week!